Obsidian
by MorganLeFay33
Summary: Miss Audrey hires a housemaid who is a bit of a troublemaker…Rated T for now, but may go up if readers so desire :-)
1. Chapter 1

**Obsidian**

* * *

_So here we go! A crossover between these two was requested, and hopefully I can do an okay job of writing this despite the huge age gap. I'm setting it around 1885, at which point I imagine that Miss Audrey would be in her early 50s and Sarah O'Brien in her very early 20s…so kind of the opposite of the crossover fic I wrote for Downton and Upstairs, Downstairs! xoxo_

* * *

Audrey sighed when she caught the scent of cigarette smoke. She didn't have the energy to object today, and so she simply pretended to focus on the puzzle. She'd been nudging the little piece for the past few minutes, her thoughts wandering while she unsuccessfully continued shoving it against the empty, jagged space in which it did not fit.

The housemaid sauntered around the parlor table, grabbing Audrey's puzzle piece from her hand and immediately settling it into the correct spot.

"Sarah!" she gasped. "My! How ever did you do that so quickly!" She laughed incredulously, fanning herself and shifting around to shake off any impression that she might not have been trying so hard to complete the puzzle in the first place.

Sarah sat back in silence, kicking her boots up onto the table and twirling her cigarette around between her fingers with a dexterity that fascinated Audrey, though she would never say it out loud.

"You're a terrible housemaid, you know," Audrey said curtly, still keeping her eyes on the table.

"So sack me then." Sarah smirked and turned her head to slowly exhale the smoke from her lips.

The girl really should have been sacked ages ago, with the way she had been behaving. She was shamelessly comfortable in this house, crossing boundaries that should never be crossed by anyone in her position, and yet, Audrey would never let her go. She was tired. And she had wanted more than needed a maid in the first place. Furthermore, Sarah was impeccable in her duties, knowing precisely what her employer desired before she even had to ask. Every inch of the house was free of dust, every dish sparkling, and not one corner of any rug upturned at any moment. She greeted Audrey each morning with a perfectly assembled breakfast tray complete with flowers from the garden. And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she enjoyed Sarah's company. After so many years of ordering young ladies about, it was oddly comforting to live with this one's obstinate refusal to even pretend to be a servant.

"Why don't you ever go outside, Mrs. Lovett?"

"My, you're blunt, girl," Audrey mumbled, her heart stopping at Sarah's question.

"You've been a widow for three years. You shouldn't wear so much black."

"Noted." Audrey pursed her lips, watching her housemaid with a cold stare. She wished that Sarah's words would make her feel some remnant of sadness, but they both knew better than that. "You might want to take your own advice."

Sarah smirked and reached backward over her head, grabbing the decanter and crystal glass on the table. Audrey couldn't help but grin as she watched her housemaid pour the dark liquid, supposing that she may as well allow this too. She was surprised, however, when Sarah raised her eyebrows and pushed the glass across to her.

"Drink."

"Sarah!" Audrey scolded with a scandalized, wobbly smile. "That's for company!"

"And when do _you _ever have company?" the housemaid teased.

"I do!" the older woman insisted, flustered by the accusation. "But goodness, Sarah, a woman of my age…I'm hardly a courtesan."

"You're fifty-one, not dead."

Audrey took a swig from the glass and pointed at Sarah defensively. "I have lived a very fulfilling life, thank you. You've no idea what I have experienced in my lifetime…"

"What?" Sarah chuckled and rolled her eyes. "In Ladieswear? How very exciting…"

None of it had bothered her until then. "I'll have you know that I held an extremely important position, and I accomplished each and every one of my aspirations, girl. I doubt that you even have any yourself." She downed the remainder of her drink and leaned forward, challenging the young brunette.

"I want to be a lady's maid."

"Do you?"

"I do." Sarah snickered leaned forward on her elbows defiantly. "But it's not as if I really care so much about it. It'll only be temporary if I have any say in it."

"Temporary?" Audrey scoffed. "There's more to being a lady's maid than you think, you know. A lady's maid is more than just a housemaid that fastens hooks and buttons when she has to. It requires skills that you should be learning now. You'll see."

"Oh?" Sarah leaned back and crossed her arms. "I'll probably have to get in some practice then, hm?"

The older woman laughed in spite of herself. "And you want to practice on _me_, I presume?"

The housemaid shrugged slyly and left her chair, picking up the empty glass on her way into the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

* * *

"Good heavens, girl! You've startled me!"

Sarah chuckled at the sight of Audrey leaning in the doorway to her own bedroom, one hand laid dramatically over her heart and the other waving about herself in a nervous frenzy.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Sarah?"

"Waiting to undress you."

She couldn't help but smirk when the older woman blushed and stuttered, "Undress me? For wh…why?"

It was a given that she wouldn't remember their conversation from the day before, but Sarah enjoyed toying with her as such. She knew her words would elicit a response like this, and it was all a part of the fun.

"I believe I'm to start my training as a lady's maid, am I not?"

"Oh. Right. Of course." Audrey closed her gaping mouth and tried to appear nonplussed, shuffling forward officiously as if this were all part of a rehearsed business transaction.

Sarah swung her legs round the side of the chair and placed her feet back on the ground, setting down the perfume bottle she had been looking at while she'd waited.

"No, no, no!" Her employer pushed her back into the chair and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to sit up straight.

"Ouch!" she complained, surprised by the other woman's sudden forcefulness.

"Don't be childish, girl. Before you begin practice on me, you must learn to style hair properly. Judging from that dark mop on your head, I presume you've never learned."

The housemaid was about to protest but immediately stopped when she realized two things: Audrey was right, and it felt rather nice to have the other woman's hands threading through her hair like this, occasionally brushing against her neck. Sarah reclined, settling herself comfortably into Audrey's touch. The younger woman followed Audrey's face carefully, reveling in the way that Audrey repeatedly met her eyes in the mirror despite flinching and quickly looking away each time. It was a delightfully uncomfortable situation for the widowed woman, and Sarah loved every second of it.

"Now," she instructed, allowing the housemaid's hair to tumble out of its pins, "I do not proclaim to be an expert, but I can teach you a few things, starting with how I prefer to wear my own hair. You _must _do something about this hair of yours. Perhaps you might curl the pieces around your face like I do mine. It's more…professional…"

As the styling progressed, Sarah thought she'd never looked uglier. She did not so much as utter a word, though, for she didn't want this to end. In the midst of their conversation, Audrey cleared her throat and asked very directly,

"Sarah, where do you go on your nights off?"

"I don't go anywhere."

"Don't lie to me, girl. I know more than you think." The older woman ceased her actions for a minute and raised a suspicious eyebrow until Sarah broke into low laughter.

There was no way that this was chastisement. This was an earnest question disguised as a playful accusation. Lately, Sarah had noticed a little candle light glowing through Audrey's bedroom window whenever she exited the house, had caught Audrey rifling through her coat pocket one day supposedly in search of a lost pincushion, had grown used to Audrey's constant presence in the kitchen and in the hall and anywhere else that her maid might be lurking.

She was a bloody snoop, this one, but Sarah was not intimidated in the least. She had known from the start of her interview that the woman was inclined to respond enthusiastically to Sarah's behavior. All she needed was a bit of coaxing.

"Why don't you come and see for yourself?"


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

* * *

The look on Audrey's face was well worth it. In her locked jaw and her pursed lips, Sarah could see her effort to appear scandalized and appalled, to paint herself as a woman with extensive knowledge of the world who consciously opposed such reprehensible behavior. But in her eyes, Sarah saw another person entirely: a nervous, inexperienced woman who had anticipated something like this and was even a bit excited. It was that little flash of uncertainty. Sarah lived for the thrill of it.

She chortled as the older woman anxiously flinched away from the couples she passed, as if all the pairs of women in the room had a disease she was afraid to catch. Audrey coughed dramatically, complaining about the smoky room and the loud piano music, but Sarah ignored her until they reached the bar.

"Evening, Nell."

The barmaid looked up for a moment and grinned mischievously, drawling, "Evening, O'B. Well, who's this you've got with you?"

Audrey continued to scan the room nervously, her face practically white and her movements bird-like. She was right to feel a bit out of sorts, Sarah thought. She was new, and every woman in the room was watching her, some with more honorable intentions than others.

Sarah smirked and deflected the question. "Whatever your best ale is, she'll have it. The usual for me." Before Audrey could object, Sarah emptied her coin purse onto the counter and leaned forward to watch with a lecherous eye as the barmaid playfully dropped them into her corset one by one.

"Thanks, love." The housemaid winked in satisfaction, and Nell left to get their drinks. Once she returned, Audrey began to laugh teasingly.

"A cup of tea? That's 'the usual' for you? Good heavens, girl."

"I don't drink," Sarah mumbled, looking down and lighting a cigarette. She knew that people always found it odd, especially for someone like herself, but she never felt like explaining it. To some, it had already become a formidable mystery surrounding her character, and Sarah wanted to keep it that way.

"Oh. Well, that's a very fine thing, Sarah. You kn…"

A lecture on godliness and virtue was about to come her way, so she stopped the older woman just in time by holding the lit cigarette to her mouth. Audrey took it and inhaled too deeply, and Sarah chuckled as she began to cough. She patted her on the back until she stopped, urging her to take another puff.

She got the hang of it before long, and the drink went to her head rather quickly. They sat together at a table in the corner, watching the dancing and singing roomful of women and occasionally greeting Sarah's many acquaintances. The more Audrey drank, the more she clacked on and on, and it was giving Sarah a bloody headache.

"Where do these ladies come from? Goodness, it is absolutely _atrocious_, the way some of them are dressed. How do they leave their homes in trousers without getting caught? Would you _look _at the way they…How can they possibly behave like this in front of other people, it's…"

The younger woman stopped listening and simply watched her lips move, wondering how much longer she would have to wait before kissing them.

"Sarah, did you hear what I said?"

She shook her head and began to listen again. "What?"

"I asked if _you _are one of these…these ladies who cavort around with their own kind, doing…_things _with them."

Sarah looked into her concerned blue eyes and laughed heartily that the woman had even thought it worthwhile to ask. She'd have a bit of fun with her then.

"No." She shook her head in feigned seriousness and gave her a small, shady smile. "I come here for the tea."

Before the older woman could respond, Sarah recognized Lissy Marston and chucked an unlit cigarette at her back. She turned around and blew a kiss to Sarah, who tilted her head in not-so-subtly flirtatious reply. Without another word, Lissy strode over to the housemaid and lifted her out of her chair, planting a kiss on her cheek and pulling her over to dance with her. Judging from the thick color painted on the young woman's lips, Sarah knew that the kiss must have left a red mark. Good. She wrapped her arms round Lissy's waist and turned her face just so, so that her employer would have a clear view of the residue.

Sarah did not know how long they danced there together, but she delighted in occasionally lifting her eyes to surreptitiously watch Audrey's disgruntled expression. Once she sat back down, the older woman huffed,

"You could be a _bit _more courteous, you know…Parading around without a single thought to the rest of us…"

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow and grinned smugly. "I didn't realize we bothered you so much…"

Audrey shifted in her seat, immediately rethinking her complaint. "I'm not bothered."

"Seems like you are." The housemaid unbuttoned the top button of her frock and fanned herself, continuing to smirk as her companion attempted to hide her embarrassment.

"Good heavens, girl, you confuse me. Now that I've seen this, how am I to know that you won't enter my bedroom in the middle of the night and…accost me! I ought to sack you. Your behavior is inexcusable and…"

Sarah couldn't help but throw her head back in laughter at the comment. For one moment, she didn't reply. She simply stood up and walked around the table to her companion, leaning over to meet her eyes.

"You flatter yourself," she whispered in her ear. "With all due respect, Mrs. Lovett, you don't interest me at all."

Sarah left to buy one more drink, triumphantly swinging her hips and knowing full well that she was in Audrey's direct line of sight. The woman was stubborn, but this evening was far from through.


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

* * *

"Right. I'm off." Sarah saluted her irreverently and turned on her heels, heading toward her own room.

Audrey watched her begin to disappear down the hallway and felt her stomach lurch, urging her to back-peddle, to say something that she did not want to say.

"Wait!" she cried in a voice so high that she surprised herself.

"Yes?"

Audrey felt foolish, unsure of what to do next. She had resisted everything all evening. She had feigned disapproval of the pub, had attempted to act appalled by it all, had tugged on Sarah's sleeve and nagged her to take her home, had gone on and on about how very exhausted she was. But she had not wanted to come home to sleep, and she couldn't very well tell her housemaid this news without seeming completely and utterly desperate. It was not like her to give in this easily. Her sense of propriety begged her to steer clear of the other woman, but even she could tell that her heightened desire had already made that impossible.

"Weren't you going to undress me?"

The corner of Sarah's lips twisted into a small, smug smile, and she silently followed her employer into her bedroom.

It was exhilarating and practically unbearable all at once, and Audrey was not surprised to find that Sarah had no problems in undressing her. It was rather inconvenient; every time the older woman opened her mouth to instruct, Sarah would get there first, deftly unbuttoning buttons, unclasping clasps, unlacing laces. There was no learning to be done here, and Audrey felt even more foolish by it.

Sarah's hands were a bit rough and slightly cold from the night air, and Audrey shivered each time they lightly brushed against her skin. Once Sarah finally had her out of her corset, she suddenly pressed her hands tightly around Audrey's waist and slowly ran them down over her hips and thighs until she reached Audrey's stockings and began to untie them with agonizing slowness. It was without warning, and Audrey couldn't stop the small sound – approximately one-third sigh, one-third whimper, and one-third moan, she surmised – from escaping her mouth. The nerve of this girl.

Sarah did not react at all, acted as if it was all part of the protocol. Audrey wanted nothing more than to reach down and bury her hands in the younger woman's dark mass of shining hair, to kneel down on the ground at her level, to look into her large blue-grey eyes, and…do what? She did not know. It frustrated her. This youngling knew far more than she did - a phenomenon that she had never particularly appreciated in _any _aspect of her life.

The next few minutes were equally maddening, for once Audrey's nightdress was on, Sarah guided her into her chair and began to twist her hair into her nightcap, smirking and remarking,

"How very matronly of you."

"You'll wear one like this one day too," Audrey managed to mumble. "It sets the hair rather well. Just you wait."

"I doubt it."

All of the sudden, she felt Sarah pat her shoulders forcefully, like a sturdy, robust man greeting a son or a nephew.

"Done." She said it gruffly with a curt nod, and then she was off, meticulously closing the door behind her.

Audrey found herself sitting alone in her room, aching miserably for more of her housemaid's touch. Sarah was toying with her. How dare she. She would not lose this game. She sighed as she rose from her chair and shuffled toward her bed, the air around her still buzzing with the memory of Sarah's presence.

She settled under her covers and tried to read for a bit, but it was useless. In the spinning silence of her bedroom, Audrey suddenly felt a strange, hollowing sadness that she rarely allowed herself to visit with on nights like these. With a deep breath and a rising heat in her cheeks, she recalled that day, years ago, in which a change had stirred within her. She had felt it so strongly that it had scared her.

Clémence had shown her that it was possible, that one could be respected and successful regardless. And her words had been carelessly thrown about, with a freedom that Audrey almost wished would cease to exist for anyone at all:

_"Every decision we make is guided, determined by passion...sexual passion."_

Audrey still winced at the memory of herself freezing up in reply, unable to do anything but suggest a bloody hat. A stupid, bloody hat. _What a small, silly person I am,_ she thought. She pulled the blankets over herself and sat up straight, wondering what she was still doing in here by herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

* * *

_So here's my chapter five! I've opted out of smut (writing smut is just not my gift) but I did want to write some sort of scene in which two characters have sex that…dun dun dun…isn't perfect! Gasp! I just feel like so many stories on here (including my own) portray sex so smoothly and suavely, which is actually not realistic in many cases. So Morgana has stirred up a bit of awkwardness here. Hope you don't hate it!_

_xoxo_

* * *

Audrey shuffled down the corridor and rapped quickly on Sarah's door, forcing herself to keep her mind blank and her lamp steady. If she were to second-guess herself now, she would surely take off running in the opposite direction. Her resolve was as weak as her desire was strong.

"It's open." Sarah's reply was lazily drawled and barely audible. She hadn't even bothered to raise her voice to ensure that the older woman could hear her.

Slowly, timidly, Audrey pushed it open, her heart pounding wildly at the small creaking sound. She was rendered speechless by the sight of the half-dressed housemaid who reclined casually on her bed and had been playing a game of cards with herself. She made no move except to drag her heavily lidded eyes up to meet Audrey's. She looked drastically different from earlier, her half-open dressing gown revealing a loosely tied corset and scandalous flash of pale thigh above her black stocking. Her body appeared soft and pliant against her undergarments, her dark hair shining as it fell down her back in long curls. She looked different, more…feminine than Audrey had expected.

Sarah had been up waiting for her all this time. That cheeky girl had _known. _She had received exactly what she had wanted, had carried out a most perfect plan. And by now, Audrey cared very little about her own will to resist. She was vulnerable here, and that was it. This was how it had to be.

The younger woman continued to sit stilly and expectantly, making it clear that she would not rise. The nerve. Audrey slowly set down her lamp and stepped forward until she stood at the very edge of the bed.

"Sarah, am I…old?"

She gave Audrey a suggestive half-smile and answered quietly, "You _are _fifty-one."

"I'm not dead."

Propelled forward by an inexplicable courage, she crawled onto the bed and moved herself over the lounging housemaid. She reached out and slowly ran the back of her hand over Sarah's jaw and up behind her ear, pleased to see Sarah's eyes flutter shut in response to her touch. And then, suddenly realizing the inevitability of her own recklessness, she grabbed a fistful of the younger woman's thick hair and leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss that was anything but proper.

* * *

Sarah wished she wouldn't cover herself up like that. The older woman beside her pulled the blankets up below her shoulders, trying and failing to be subtle in watching as her companion leaned against her pillow and lit a cigarette, the blankets still pooled down around her waist. Sarah didn't care. She'd let her look.

"I'm sorry," she said meekly.

Sarah blew out the match. "For what?"

"I…" Audrey wrapped her arms tightly around herself, struggling to find the words. "I'm sorry about…your head. And your neck. Your head and your neck. Are you…hurt?"

Without turning toward Audrey, she took a puff of her cigarette and mumbled, "It's fine. You're learning."

"Edmund...Well, Edmund was never terribly interested in doing… _that_"

"You don't say." Sarah chuckled and exhaled slowly, careful not to blow in the older woman's direction. She was still breathing rather heavily, after all.

"Well, in any case, I apologize."

Sarah finally turned to take another look at her, grinning at the sight of the troubled, beautiful woman. She was clearly still coming down from her high, her golden hair disheveled and her freckled face flushed.

"Come off it, will you? Just…next time you'd best remember that there's a person down there. A person who needs to breathe every once in a while. I can only hold your legs open for so long, you know. I need at least a _bit _of help from you…" Sarah trailed off into low laughter again, entirely unperturbed by it.

"I'm sorry about the…other thing…too."

The housemaid rolled her eyes, losing patience. "What other thing?"

"You know very well what I mean. I apologize that I wasn't able to help you to…"

Sarah laughed incredulously. "Oh. You will. You didn't think you were done here, did you?"

Surprised and suddenly made nervous by the housemaid's nonchalant quasi-command, Audrey's eyes widened. "I thought that…"

"You thought wrong. I just need a little time to rest." She languorously blew another ring of smoke from her lips. "It takes more time for me to get there. That's all. You'll have to move more slowly than you did. I'll show you."

The older woman nodded silently, pursing her lips in an uneasy smile that Sarah found to be, well, adorable. She reached out to squeeze Audrey's hand in reassurance. "Don't be worrying. You're brilliant, love."

Audrey's face turned stone cold in response - not exactly the reply Sarah had been expecting. "Sarah, you don't…You don't _love _me, do you?"

As much as she hated laughing at this poor woman over and over again, the housemaid couldn't help it, and she threw her head back once more.

"Oh good." Audrey sighed in relief, which Sarah found even funnier still. "You don't seem the type to fall in love anyway. I can't imagine that _you_ would even know what it feels like to be in love."

"I've been in love before," Sarah interjected insistently. An uncomfortable silence immediately fell upon them.

The humor had passed, and the memories that it brought back into this tiny room threatened to suffocate her. She put out her cigarette and watched her employer's stunned expression, careful not to let her eyes stray from her face, for if she did, another's would surely enter into her mind's eye. And she certainly didn't want that right now.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't know…" Audrey stammered. "You just don't seem the type…"

"I'm not. It was rubbish."

She surprised herself with her own defensive and yet dejected response, and she groaned heavily before moving to lie above Audrey. Within less than a second, her lips were once again attached to the other woman's neck, and thankfully, with the return of Audrey's overwhelmingly enthusiastic little moans, all other thoughts were drowned out, entirely flown from her mind.

* * *

_Pssssst! In case you're wondering, in this fic, Sarah will not elaborate about her past love(s) and reason for not drinking, but if you want to know my headcanons for it all, you can find the answers in my other stories, namely "Thirteen" and "Deserted." _

_xoxo,_

_Morgana_


	6. Chapter 6

**VI**

* * *

Still sprawled on the floor beneath her blanket, Audrey reached up and patted her housemaid's hand, reminding her.

"Double stitching, girl. Double stitching when you get to the…"

Sarah swatted away her hand gruffly, continuing her work. "I _know_. You don't have to tell me twice."

"Three times…." she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Audrey grinned at the younger woman's insolence and rubbed her eyes sleepily, scrunching up her face in satisfied serenity.

They did this often, napping in the middle of her parlor instead of on the bed. The sunlight was brighter here, the birdsong so aggressive that they couldn't help but feel bliss. What did it matter anyway? Visitors never came to call. Sometimes they would lie there all day, engaging in the naughtiest of behavior and then resting for a smoke or some sweets. And then Sarah would sit up and carry on with her lessons in sewing. It was a delightfully languid way to live. What a shame that it would soon come to a close.

The older woman turned on her side, resting her cheek on her hands and looking up at her companion affectionately. She would have to say it at some point.

"Sarah, put that down for a moment."

"No." With no more than a grumble, the housemaid continued her stitching in deep concentration.

"Sarah."

Audrey laughed lightheartedly and leaned up on her elbow, unashamed of the way the covers fell from her chest.

"_Sarah_!" She grasped the chemise and pulled it away from her younger companion.

"Oi!" Sarah angrily tried and failed to pull it back. "Are you mad? I was in the middle of tha-"

Audrey silenced her with a kiss. Sarah struggled against her before melting into her embrace. She could feel the brunette's rough hands on her back, and she nearly forgot what she had planned. Begrudgingly, she willed herself to pull away.

"Sarah, listen to me."

"_What_?"

"I've procured you an interview. Tomorrow."

As it turned out, Sarah did not welcome the news. She fought like hell, cursing like a sailor and constantly trying to leave. Audrey held onto her arms tightly, pulling her back down repeatedly to explain. It was an elderly townswoman of much higher birth than herself, and Sarah would benefit greatly from it, but she didn't seem to care.

"Should've just told me you didn't want me." Sarah snapped, her face red with an ire that surprised even Audrey. She turned her gaze downward and twisted a piece of her own long, dark hair around her finger, mumbling almost inaudibly, "No one ever does."

Her sudden vulnerability broke Audrey's heart. "Oh sweet one, no. _No_! Listen to me." She took the younger woman's hands in her own and leaned in until their noses nearly touched and she could see a speck of moisture in Sarah's large blue eyes. "I did this for you. I did this because you want to be a lady's maid one day, and by God, you will be."

She pushed an obsidian strand behind the stubborn girl's ear, both of them calmed.

"You deserve more than to fritter away your youth here with me. I want what is best for you."

Finally understanding, Sarah asked glumly, "And what about you then?"

"What about me?" The older woman clucked in mock chastisement. "I'll be just fine, and you know it."

They lazed about for the remainder of the day, never straying far from one another's arms and savoring their last hours together. Before the clock struck midnight, Audrey gave her two final bits of instruction. Cradling Sarah's face with steady hands, she spoke softly and earnestly.

"I want you to remember two things. Are you listening to me?"

"What else does it look like I'm doing, you daft cow?"

"First, you must promise me that you won't grow embittered. I know and adore the little cynical soul inside of you, but it will make you ill and unhappy if you give it free reign. Do not hold grudges, and always look for the good in others. Do you promise?"

Rolling her eyes, Sarah nodded. "What else?"

Audrey sighed. She didn't quite know how to word it. "If you want to get anywhere as a lady's maid, you'd best not bed your mistresses. You'll build up the wrong kind of reputation for yourself."

The housemaid broke into hoarse laughter, shaking and coughing uncontrollably. Typical. Audrey couldn't help but chuckle a little too.

"I am absolutely serious, Sarah! You must keep those things separate at best. And Heaven help you if you give your heart to a lady above your station and she does not reciprocate. You must promise me."

"Come off it," Sarah said, still in the midst of laughter. "I'd never. Don't you know me by now?"

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Sarah smirked, refusing to let any remnant of tenderness sneak through her tight grin. She didn't need that now. "I have to get my things together, of course. We'll say our goodbyes later. I'm moving away tomorrow. You of all people should know that."

"Why did we come here then?" Audrey asked in confusion. "Are you going to just…_leave _me here? In this…_place_?"

Sarah chortled at the semi-disgusted look on the older woman's face, as if Sarah had just dropped something horrid in her lap.

"Come now," the newly hired lady's maid joked. "You're the one who wants to be rid of me..."

"Sarah…"

"You remember my friends, don't you?" A small group of women that Audrey had met last time began to squeeze in next to her, greeting her with toothy smiles, hearty slaps on the back, and a drink they had bought for her. Audrey could barely speak, greeting each of them with awkward stiffness. It would take time, Sarah thought, but it was for the best. The woman did, after all, deserve to have company once in a while.

"I'm not letting you slink away from yourself. You need friends. Friends like yourself, friends your own age. And maybe something more. Respectability be damned." Sarah winked. "They're my dearest. They'll take care of you. You're fifty-two, not dead."

Audrey smiled ruefully. "You're nothing but trouble, girl."

* * *

_That's all, folks! Hope you liked it._

_xoxo_


End file.
